Since the Mandarin Oriental, New York closed its doors on March 27, 2020, the hotel's management has been thinking of ways to bring back employees and open safely to the public, which it was finally able to do on April 1, 2021.
Interviewed as part of an HNN series focused on general managers, Susanne Hatje, general manager at the hotel, said via email that factors in reopening the hotel included recent positive momentum in the hotel industry's recovery, government restrictions being lifted, quarantine mandates being eliminated and the distribution of more vaccines.
"All contributed to our confidence that not only could we ensure the well-being of our guests and colleagues, but we will also be able to operationally deliver the service excellence expected from Mandarin Oriental," she said.
To determine the best time and day to reopen the hotel, the Mandarin Oriental brand's feng shui master in Hong Kong was consulted for advice, Hatje said.
"He shared that all festivities should occur before 1:30 p.m. ET, during which the God of Happiness was in the South West and the God of Fortune was in the West," she said. The Mandarin Oriental, New York is in the South West corner of Central Park and on the West side of Manhattan.
"Together, we agreed on reopening our doors at exactly 12:08 p.m. ET as eight represents fortune, prosperity and success," she said.
Hatje added that staff members gathered in the ballroom for a performance and traditional lion dance prior to the reopening.
What was the reopening process like? Did you bring back team members who were let go?
We brought back over 100 colleagues, but have not hired anyone new. With that in mind, Mandarin Oriental, New York will increase staffing as business demand dictates.
Because we didn’t hire any new staff members, this means our colleagues are already very familiar with the property, market and clientele. This allowed our reorientation to run smoothly, during which we highlighted our We Care program, which includes stringent protocols to further safeguard the comfort, health and safety of guests and employees.
How long did the process take? When you closed, did some employees stay on board for maintenance and upkeep purposes or other roles?
During the pandemic, the hotel was maintained by a small team of staff members who handled building upkeep, updating bookings, sales and more. With that in mind, reopening was more of a matter of bringing staff back and conducting our reorientation. This started about one month or so prior to reopening.
New York City was a market hit particularly hard by the pandemic — can you talk about what impact that has had on your hotel? How has the city changed and stayed the same, and how are you coping with that?
There is no doubt that the pandemic was taxing and emotional for many of our colleagues. It forced the hotel to close for 370 days, similar to many businesses in the New York City area and across the country. Upon reopening, business levels will take time to ramp back up to normal levels, but we’re seeing some wonderful signs of recovery and guests are very excited to return to Mandarin Oriental, New York.
New York will always be strong. Many new charming outdoor restaurants spaces have emerged, which New Yorkers have grown fond of. We are coping with restrictions limiting the number of patrons while still employing social distancing measures in our restaurant MO Lounge and event spaces, but we are most importantly excited to be open.